Education and training | Harmattan Risk

Country operations - education and training

Tailored talks and seminars to hone socio-political awareness.

Training in intelligence and planning for operations in complex environments.

Talks and seminars

Tailored talks and seminars can be a cost-effective way to boost awareness of country- and local-level challenges and political risk management, as part of planning events, general meetings or internal training initiatives. An example was a recent presentation and Q&A session for an association representing local member organisations. A major theme therein was sustaining organisational cohesion and the social licence when facing very new constraints on organisations’ abilities to meet stakeholder expectations, and increasing social polarisation in host communities.

Course: Political Risk Intelligence and Planning for Operations in Complex Environments

Conventional risk management approaches might work in familiar or stable times and places. For on-the-ground operations in challenging environments, they can be too abstract, piecemeal and formulaic to provide meaningful guidance.

When operating in complex terrain, security, reputation and performance are inextricably linked. So too are stakeholder attitudes and the political dynamics that can affect the organisation. We need a clear sense of the socio-political system at all relevant geographic levels, and how our operation is situated within it.

Risk management in this context is not about risk registries and controls. It means managing the evolving interaction between the operation and its socio-political milieu. We need to be able to navigate the big picture while sustaining relationships and the social licence, securing ourselves from threats, and remaining poised to deal with crises. All of this relies on bridging organisational silos for holistic perspectives and coherent plans.

Our three- to four-day course guides participants through a comprehensive thought process to identify and assess potential challenges and stakeholder issues, and to plan coordinated initiatives and contingencies to sustain the operation’s health and integrity. It is based on Robert McKellar’s book, Political Risk Intelligence for Business Operations in Complex Environments (Routledge, 2023), which draws on his lessons from casework and time on the ground in fragile contexts.

Several modules can be delivered as shorter, standalone courses to address specific learning needs, including:

Scenario analysis and operational future-proofing
Conflict-sensitive stakeholder analysis and engagement planning
Threat assessment and relationship-based security planning